| Abstract: | In automated test assembly (ATA), the methodology of mixed‐integer programming is used to select test items from an item bank to meet the specifications for a desired test form and optimize its measurement accuracy. The same methodology can be used to automate the formatting of the set of selected items into the actual test form. Three different cases are discussed: (i) computerized test forms in which the items are presented on a screen one at a time and only their optimal order has to be determined; (ii) paper forms in which the items need to be ordered and paginated and the typical goal is to minimize paper use; and (iii) published test forms with the same requirements but a more sophisticated layout (e.g., double‐column print). For each case, a menu of possible test‐form specifications is identified, and it is shown how they can be modeled as linear constraints using 0–1 decision variables. The methodology is demonstrated using two empirical examples. |
